Global epidemic has a local impact for AIDS fighters

Clare Howard

Friday

Jan 30, 2009 at 12:01 AMJan 30, 2009 at 8:24 PM

Mike Maginn, 54, and his father, Ray, 83, collect old refrigerators, washers, dryers, televisions and beds and deliver them to people pushed into poverty, some to the brink of homelessness, by HIV/AIDS.

Mike Maginn, 54, and his father, Ray, 83, collect old refrigerators, washers, dryers, televisions and beds and deliver them to people pushed into poverty, some to the brink of homelessness, by HIV/AIDS.

"It's getting harder and harder for us to do these pickups," Maginn said, laughing about the physical part of his job.

The cerebral part of his work, as executive director of Central Illinois FRIENDS of PWA (which stands for People with AIDS), includes lobbying state and federal legislators, working on grant proposals, managing a $650,000 annual budget, designing new programs and services, fundraising, listening and caring.

That rare combination of mind, heart and muscle earned Maginn the statewide Arlene Valentine leadership award recently from the Illinois Department of Public Health for his work in HIV/AIDS prevention and care. The award is named after Arlene Valentine, who was a member of the McLean County AIDS Task Force and an advocate for social reform.

Maginn has been executive director at FRIENDS since 2004.

Marjorie Getz, a board member of the not-for-profit organization, said, "He saved FRIENDS. No question in my mind. He's an astute businessman with the heart and head of a nonprofit executive.

"He has a rare combination of skills. He's got a strong business sense and strong sense of compassion. He can walk that tightrope."

The face of AIDS

Maginn's organization provides assistance to more than 450 people in central Illinois, all of whom are below the federal poverty level. At some point after their diagnosis, the majority of his clients grapple with homelessness.

"It's very hard to raise public awareness. People don't feel warm and fuzzy looking at the face of AIDS. The stigma still exists," Maginn said.

New this year at the organization is a rural transportation program that transports clients to appointments at the Heart of Illinois HIV/AIDS Center at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.

"The No. 1 barrier for people getting medical treatment is lack of transportation," Maginn said. "We are the second outside of Chicago to start a transportation program."

Maginn said HIV/AIDS is pandemic and people younger than age 25 comprise half of all new HIV infections. Yet, it's difficult to educate young people because of the restrictions on teaching comprehensive sex education programs in the schools, Maginn said.

Maginn often works with John Peller of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. They lobby Springfield for legislation linked to prevention and care.

The duo has worked with Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, who is sponsoring a bill on expedited partner therapy. The bill failed to make it out of committee last year, but they hope it will pass the General Assembly this year.

Expedited partner therapy is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and provides antibiotics without a required medical examination for the partners of people diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease.

Peller and Maginn also both advocate for the repeal of a provision that requires school principals be notified of all children diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

Peller said Illinois is one of just five states with that requirement.

"All other states recognize this is a violation of basic human rights," he said. Peller also notes the provision is counterproductive because it encourages young people not to be tested, which results in more undiagnosed students continuing to engage in unprotected sex, further spreading the disease.

Dee Dunnett, director of disease control with the Winnebago County Health Department, wrote the nomination for Maginn.

"When I think about Michael, I get a smile on my face immediately," Dunnett said. "He's articulate, compassionate, he reaches out to people and gets them to volunteer a day, a week, a moment, a dollar. He makes people feel important and feel they want to be part of something bigger."

Maginn said half of his agency's budget comes from the federal government. The other half comes from a combination of donations, fundraisers, memorials and private grants.

"The Peoria area does a good job with collaborations. FRIENDS is the place of last resort," Maginn said. "People have exhausted all other sources of help before they come to us, and we are expecting our client base will increase."

That looming increase comes not just because of the economy, but because the CDC is discovering past estimates greatly under calculated the number of people with HIV/AIDS.

The increases are coming primarily among young people, particularly among African American and Latino populations.

"Funding is flat lined but the number of clients is increasing," Maginn said. "We always talk about education and prevention. We are hoping the new administration helps. We need to think creatively."

Clare Howard can be reached at (309) 686-3250 or choward@pjstar.com.

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